10 Euros 125 Years of Automobile, Silver Proof Issue

Germany's commemorative euro program has occasionally attracted criticism for overcrowding the market, but the 2011 automobile issue marks a legitimate centenary — the 125th anniversary of Carl Benz's 1886 Motorwagen patent, widely recognized as the foundational document of the automobile as a commercial concept. Benz filed patent number 37435 with the Imperial Patent Office in January of that year.

The .625 fineness is characteristic of Germany's lower-silver commemorative standard introduced in the euro period, distinct from the .925 issues reserved for higher-denomination pieces.